


she had you for a while

by dizzy



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-03-11
Packaged: 2019-03-30 02:15:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13940433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dizzy/pseuds/dizzy
Summary: Dan's mum shows up at the flat while Dan is out.





	she had you for a while

It's Wednesday afternoon sliding nicely into evening, and Phil's trying to formulate a plan to talk Dan into ordering takeaway tonight. 

_You deserve a treat_ , Phil always tells him on Wednesday evenings, and Dan always says he stopped needing to be bribed into going to therapy two years ago and that Phil's agenda is as transparent as his lies are bad. 

But Phil spends Wednesay afternoons in the flat alone and then they order a takeaway anyway, because Dan won't really turn down a curry or a pizza even under the flimsiest of excuses. 

* 

When he hears the buzzer, he jumps. He always jumps, and Dan always laughs, but since Dan's not here Phil just laughs at himself. 

He's not expecting anyone. Must be the post, he thinks, and takes the steps down two at a time because getting something in the post has never stopped being exciting for him. 

The last person he's expecting to find at the door is Dan's mum. 

"Oh-" He says, before his brain catches up with him. "Hi!" 

"Phil!" She looks surprised and slightly uncomfortable, almost like he's the one that's surprised her by answering his own door, before smoothing her expression something more socially acceptable as he opens the door to let her in.

*

"I don't know why I stopped by," she admits, standing in their lounge. "I had a meeting a couple streets over and I thought, it's so odd, to be so close to Dan and not - well. I should have texted him first, I suppose."

As she speaks, he watches her and he's overcome by how much like Dan she carries herself. She can't quite stand still, fidgeting and looking around, foot bouncing. Just like Dan, it's as though there's too much energy in her for her body to quite contain. 

"He'll be back in half an hour," Phil says. "We were going to order a takeaway, if you want to stay for dinner? I can make us a drink for now."

He's not sure where the impulse comes from. He doesn't even know if Dan will be mad at him for it. Dan's mood toward his mum is more fond as of late but still prone to fits of resentment and apathy. 

She looks genuinely surprised by the offer. "I - I don't know about dinner, but a drink would be lovely. I'll just stay long enough to say hi to him."

He thinks there must be something else, for her to wait. But it's not his business so he doesn't pry. 

* 

She seems more grounded with a drink in her hand, something to focus her attention on. "Has Dan told you," she asks, amusement tucked into her words. "About doing shots in Sri Lanka?" 

Phil laughs. "He rang me that night when you were done, though I don't know if he remembers it or not. I hadn't heard him that drunk in years." 

"It was lovely," she says, sounding wistful. 

"He had a lot of fun," Phil offers. "He enjoyed that whole trip." 

"I thought so. Hoped, at least. It was the first time he'd not put up a fuss about going on a family trip in ages." 

Phil remembers that, too. He remembers all those times Dan would whine and complain and accuse his parents and grandmother alike of guilting him, of emotional manipulation. It's not something Phil can relate to; his mum has never had to guilt him into any sort of travel. But he long ago stopped trying to think of Dan's relationship with his parents by relating it to Phil's own life experiences. 

"You know, we've got-" Phil stands up abruptly and walks over to a cabinet, one of the ones that seamlessly blend in. "We don't keep a lot of things out, because we film in here sometimes and it's just easier, but." 

He turns and shows her the prize in his grasp, a framed photo of Dan and his family from that trip. He watches her face as she walks over to it and picks it up, the way she smiles a small smile before she puts it back down. "That's nice," she says, an understatement from the way her voice breaks a bit. "He's doing well, isn't he? Better than before?" 

Phil's not sure what before means, exactly, but he still says, "He is," because Dan's doing better now than he has all his other befores. "It's still... he has bad days, sometimes. But he's happy, I think. We've been busy lately." 

"I bet you boys have," she says, walking back to her drink and sitting down. She sits like Dan often sits, one long leg tucked underneath her while the other foot taps restlessly against the ground. "Is there anywhere particular you're excited to see?"

It's an easy question, so Phil starts talking and the conversation flows in a back and forth about cities and tourist attractions and all the best food. 

*

"You'll come to the London show, won't you?" Phil asks. He's checked the time on his phone already. Dan will be home soon, any minute now. 

He finds himself already disappointed. It struck him somewhere between Boston pizza and how she'd like to go to Florida one day that he's not sure he's ever just sat and had a chat with Dan's mum like they were both proper adults. He's talked to her plenty, for that whole year of regular visits to Dan and trips back home with him but he always felt like a kid in her home, because Dan always felt like a kid in her home and Phil's comfort was only an extension of Dan's own. He's seen her in more recent years only at events and public spaces, or with Dan as an intermediary. 

It's nice. It's downright pleasant, actually, to have someone to talk with besides his own family that he doesn't have to hide a thing from. It's even better when it's someone who knows Dan just as well as he does, though maybe in a slightly different way.

"Of course," she says. "It'll be lovely to get to catch up with your mum again. We really should all do something together at some point." 

It's the sort of thing Phil hears from his own mum, and Dan always dismisses it as politely as he can. Phil asked him once why, and he said his mum wasn't the sort for big family get-togethers. 

He wonders if Dan's wrong, or if she's only being polite now, or if maybe it's a bit of miscommunication all around. Either way, it's not his mystery to untangle. He and Dan might share a home, a life, and sometimes a mind - but there are still boundaries he's afraid of the consequences of crossing. He's got a feeling he's nudging up against one right now, so he'll be careful not to go too far over the line. 

"My mum would love that," Phil says, because it's the truth and it feels safe to agree without pinning it down to specifics. "I'm sure we'll do another dinner after the show for everyone." 

"Maybe I'll come into London a bit early," she says. She sounds almost like she's asking if she should. "Take him out to a meal, just the two of us, to celebrate. He's done so well for himself." 

"I'm sure he'd like that," Phil says, because again it's question he can't rightly answer for Dan, but he still wants to offer encouragement. Whatever made her show up at their flat must be something heavy on her mind. "He'll be home soon. Are you sure you won't stay?" 

"No, I should really get a train back before it's too late." She looks out the window to where the clouds look heavy outside. 

*

There’s a moment where quiet creeps up on both of them. 

She’s still looking out the window, and he’s looking at her. It’s not obtrusive, he hopes; he just feels suddenly like she’s a person he’s never really seen before. She’s younger than his own mum by a fair few years, but there are still lines around her eyes and lines around her mouth. Dan and his mum smile the same smile and laugh the same laugh. The lines she has, Phil thinks, are the same ones Dan will have one day. 

They’re lovely, really, and Phil finds himself excited to see them as they creep forward into the future.

*

"We're not ordering takeaway and if we do, I want pizza," Dan shouts, clomping up the stairs into the lounge with heavy steps and a total lack of grace. He stops comically still at the top of them. "Mum. Did someone die?" 

Dan's mum only laughs. "Just my hope for future generations. Now give me a fucking hug, why don't you?" 

"I never had that to begin with," Dan says. He goes to hug her, shooting Phil a bewildered look over his shoulder. Phil just shrugs. "You're sure Nana's okay?" 

Phil almost want to smile at how Dan's childhood name for his grandmother still slips out now and then when he's talking to his mum. 

"Your Nana's fine. Wants you to come home for a visit," she says. 

"Oh, she must be fine, then." Dan pulls back. There's dewy moisture in his hair. 

"Is it raining?" Phil asks, suddenly. 

Dan looks over at him. "Misting." 

"I think I'll go and pick up our pizza, then? Give you and your mum a bit of time to chat." Phil stands. 

"Are you staying?" Dan asks his mum, sounding slightly alarmed. 

She laughs. "No, I'm not. Got to get home before the dog has himself a fit, he's been home alone since this morning. But I can stay a bit longer and keep you company til Phil gets back." 

Dan shoots Phil another look. He's nothing close to subtle, but Phil's feeling precariously on the side of Dan's mum at the moment. He drops a kiss on Dan's cheek and pats his arm. "I'll be back soon." 

* 

She's gone already by the time Phil comes back in. He’s slightly soggy but the rain’s gone, making for a lovely sort of sunset. 

"That was weird," Dan says, taking the pizza off Phil. "Wasn't that weird? She didn't even stay ten minutes after you left. Said she just wanted to see me, and she had to get home for the dog." 

Phil laughs. "I dunno. I thought it was nice. I like your mum. And I think she did just want to see you. You should have dinner with her next time she's in London." 

"Weirdo," Dan says. "She likes you, too. Kept telling me how nice a host you are, and how tasty your Palomas are.” 

“My Palomas are delicious,” Phil says. He notices how Dan’s ignored the dinner comment. “All the mums agree. They love the Philly Palomuss-” 

“Don’t,” Dan says, firmly. 

Phil sticks his tongue out. He’s not allowed to have any fun. “I did use the last of the grapefruit juice, though. Should we add it to the shopping list?” 

“Probably,” Dan says. He’s busy putting pizza slices onto plates so they can pretend to eat like civilized adults. “Anyway, my point was, did you lure my mum here and get her drunk?"

"No, but that's a goal for next time. I'm sure she'd tell me all sorts of embarrassing stories about little baby Dan if she were drunk," Phil says, pulling glasses out of the cabinet for Ribena to go with their meal. "Will you have dinner with her?" 

Dan gives him a look that's bordering on genuine irritation. He can only push so far, Phil reminds himself. But then Dan glances over at her abandoned cocktail on the table and his eyes linger on it. "Yeah, I might." 

Phil smiles to himself and pours their drinks.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Shoe for beta reading! Read and reblog on tumblr. :)


End file.
